Discuss Law of Attraction

[rocketalypse]

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I'd like to spark a nice discussion about a law of attraction. Please read the whole thread, and even do your own research if you'd like. After doing that, please state your opinion about it. Why do you believe in it? Why don't you believe in it? Feel free to bring a religion as a reason, but please let's not turn this into a religion debate.

What is a law of attraction? A law of attraction is a belief that like attracts like. You could also put it as we become what we think. If you think in negative terms, you will get negative results. If you think in positive terms, you will achieve positive results.

A Parallel Situation to Human Mind (shortened version of Earl Nightingale's The Strangest Secret)
Suppose a farmer has some land, and the land gives him a choice - he may plant in the land whatever he chooses to. The land doesn't care, it's up to the farmer to make a decision. Human mind, like the land, doesn't care what you plant in it. It will return what you plant, but it doesn't care what you plant. Let's say a farmer has two seeds in his hand, one is corn and the other is a nightshade (a deadly poison). A farmer digs two little holes in the Earth and he plants those seeds. He covers up those holes, waters it and takes care of the land. What will happen? Land will return what is planted. It will return poison in just as wonderful abundance as it will corn. There have come two plants, one corn and one poison. Human mind is more complex, mysterious and incredible, but it works the same way. It doesn't care what we plant - success or failure, concrete worthwhile goal or confusion.

 

[dDave]

I think the law of attraction is true. I wouldn't say it's absolute truth or anything but the idea of it certainly seems present in my own life.

I'm attracted to people that have similar interests whether it's religion, music, writing, video games, hiking, etc. the cool thing is that there's nobody quite like me out there and thus a perfect match will never happen but in certain areas we can have a lot of similarities.

I find it to be really simple that people who have things in common tend to like each other because they have things to talk about and do together. That's sort of the basis for any relationship.

 

[The_Chameleon]

An excerpt from one of my Ask.com replies...

"The universe responds to mental energy. If you put more positive energy out, you will get more positive response back. Just accept that this process isn't always instantaneous."

The law of attraction is a fundamental mechanic of the Universe because the Universe was created to bring forth and nurture life. Part of this is teaching people what patterns of behavior are consistent with life (benefit, growth, etc.) and which are not. This teaching occurs as the result of the direct correlation between choice and consequence.


- Cham

 

[rocketalypse]

dDave, I think you misunderstood me. I'm not referring to friendships. Do you believe that thinking about something could make it real? For example, if you believe you won't make it through the school year without summer school, that's what will happen.

 

[rocketalypse]

I think the law of attraction is true. I wouldn't say it's absolute truth or anything but the idea of it certainly seems present in my own life.

I'm attracted to people that have similar interests whether it's religion, music, writing, video games, hiking, etc. the cool thing is that there's nobody quite like me out there and thus a perfect match will never happen but in certain areas we can have a lot of similarities.

I find it to be really simple that people who have things in common tend to like each other because they have things to talk about and do together. That's sort of the basis for any relationship.

Just posted a reply, but it disappeared. Hmm... Anyway, I think you misunderstood what I said. Let's put an example here, suppose there's a working man. That working man would like a promotion, but he doesn't believe he'll ever get it. The law of attraction states he will never get it. Now, suppose there's another working man. That working man would like a promotion and he believes he will get one. The law of attraction states he will get it, but as Cham stated, it won't be instantaneous. Do you believe in that?

Or did I misunderstand what you said? I'm confused a bit now. :lol:

 

[dDave]

Just posted a reply, but it disappeared. Hmm... Anyway, I think you misunderstood what I said. Let's put an example here, suppose there's a working man. That working man would like a promotion, but he doesn't believe he'll ever get it. The law of attraction states he will never get it. Now, suppose there's another working man. That working man would like a promotion and he believes he will get one. The law of attraction states he will get it, but as Cham stated, it won't be instantaneous. Do you believe in that?

Or did I misunderstand what you said? I'm confused a bit now. :lol:

Ok, I'm pretty sure I understand what it is (I did read the Wikipedia page). I simply failed to show that adequately in my post. It wasn't a misunderstanding on either of our parts, just my failure to communicate .

I brought up the friends because I find myself assessing people as I get to know them. I think we could be friends or I think I couldn't be friends what that person. These thoughts are always based on information I process about who someone is, what they're interested in, whether or not I think they would want to be friends with me, etc. That's all part of interpersonal attraction.

It's an incredibly simple thing to talk about with that example but it works. Really, I was just writing about what stood out to me the most.

 

[Knight_of_Albion]

Yes, there is truth to it. All is energy. Energy attracts.

I would recommend - assuming they weren't the basis of your initial interest - the works of Rhonda Byrne.

 

[Sim]

Just posted a reply, but it disappeared. Hmm... Anyway, I think you misunderstood what I said. Let's put an example here, suppose there's a working man. That working man would like a promotion, but he doesn't believe he'll ever get it. The law of attraction states he will never get it. Now, suppose there's another working man. That working man would like a promotion and he believes he will get one. The law of attraction states he will get it, but as Cham stated, it won't be instantaneous. Do you believe in that?

Or did I misunderstand what you said? I'm confused a bit now. :lol:

I'd say there is *some* truth in it, but I wouldn't call it reliable enough to be a "law", and I don't think there is anything supernatural/metaphysical/magical about it. Certainly it doesn't have to do with energy.

I'd just say that someone who's hopeful and optimistic will subconsciously, perhaps even without noticing, work harder and do better than someone who has lost hope. And that will likely result in better rewards more often than not.

Especially when it has to do with human interaction. We often read a lot in other people, about their emotions, without even noticing. So when we meet someone optimistic, his optimism may make us feel more optimistic too, or at least we'll somehow like that person more than someone who just subconsciously communicates depression.

So perhaps a boss is more often inclined to like optimistic employees more than pessimistic ones, even if that's no conscious judgment, see their work in a better light and thus more often give them the promotion.


But I don't think optimism alone can guarantee that. When you're just poor at your work, and your pessimistic co-worker simply is much better, he'll likely get the promotion then, no matter if your boss enjoys your company more. Optimism alone won't help you.

But of course, an optimistic, positive view on the world is never wasted. You'll enjoy your life much more than someone who's more successful, but is in a bad mood all the time.

 

[The_Chameleon]

I used to hang with my girlfriend on the riverbank in a certain area of the city and soak up the sun, and I frequently wished that I lived close to the river and could visit the riverbank as often as I wanted. I ended up having to move to a specific place (long story) and as it turned out, not by planning but by chance, that the place was less than 2 blocks from the river and within walking distance of where we used to hang out. Driving is no longer an issue when we want to go hang by the river. It's just one small example, there are others.


There are even those who have defied terminal diagnosis because they committed themselves to believing their way back to health. Whether internal or external, every atom in the universe has within it a common thread that connects it to our will. This isn't just wishy washy new age nonsense, it's science. If the universe did begin as a single point of energy at a single point in time, then every atom and photon is at some level still "entangled" with every other, including those that become part of us.


... Food for thought.



- Cham